Robert "Bobby" Speer

Robert "Bob" Speer, 74, originally of Fort Smith, was born October 5, l931, and died Friday,December 9, 2005. He was a graduate of Fort Smith High School and the University of Oklahoma. He served in the Air Force and retired as a publishing executive in California. After retiring, he returned to Fort Smith where he established several small businesses.

He is survived by one daughter, Susan of Little Rock; three sons, James and his wife, Rebecca of Perry, GA., Robert and his wife, Christine of Thousand Oaks, CA., and John of Kathleen, GA.; seven grandchildren, Thomas Hunter, Stephanie, Melissa and Michael Branson, Sarah, Anna and Grant Speer; former wife and mother of his children, Nancy of Kathleen, GA.; one brother, Bill of Bell Gardens, CA.; and many nieces and nephews.

Graveside memorial service was held at the U.S. National Cemetery December 16, 2005.
Assisting with arrangements was Roller-Chenal Funeral Home of Little Rock.

MARY JULE ROSS CROUSE

From the Fort Smith Times Record - Monday, December 19, 2005 1:39 PM CST

Mary Jule Ross Crouse, 73, of Springfield, Ill., formerly of Auburn, Ill., and Fort Smith died at her home on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005. She was born June 17, 1932, in Fort Smith to Ann Martin and Rutherford Jack Ross. She graduated from Fort Smith High School in 1950 and attended Centenary Junior College in New Jersey, the University of Texas, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi, and the University of Kansas. She married Kenneth Curtis Crouse Jr. in 1954 and lived in North Tarrytown and Armonk, N.Y., until her divorce in 1971.

She was a member and past secretary and treasurer of Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Association and received The Order of the Golden Arrow in 2001. She was a member of the Junior League of Fort Smith, a volunteer and member of the board of directors of the Arkansas Valley Habitat for Humanity, received the Governor’s Volunteer Excellence Award in 2000 and was a volunteer with Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect in Fort Smith. She loved all animals, especially her dogs and cats, books, music, art, crafts, swimming and travel.

She was employed by Walter Karl Inc. in Armonk, N.Y., and in Fort Smith by World Wide Travel, Peoples Federal Savings & Loan, Craftech and as an interior designer at Sherwin Williams and Beverly Enterprises. She was employed as a house mother by the Phi Kappa Pi fraternity at the University of Kansas. She served as director of the Crisis Center for Battered Women in Fort Smith until her retirement.

Her baptism, confirmation and marriage were all celebrated in St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fort Smith. She was on St. John’s altar guild, a lay reader and lay Eucharistic minister, a member of the organizational steering committee, drove the Sam Van, and served sandwiches through the sack lunch program.

A memorial service and interment will be held at St. John’s on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006, at 10:30 a.m.

Mary Jule Crouse is survived by her daughter, Julie Chatham and husband Gary of Chatham, Ill.; her son, Kenneth Crouse and wife Andy of Stilwell, Kan.; four grandchildren, Sara and Rachel Chatham of Chatham and Jessica and Mason Crouse of Stilwell; a brother, Rutherford Ross and wife Nancy of Fort Smith; three sisters, Sue Cross, Randall Viguet and husband Robert, all of Fort Smith, and Ann Pestel of Bella Vista; and several nieces and nephews.

Feeling Nostalgic

Greetings to all my classmates from Rosemary. I loved our October Reunion, and send bushels of thanks to all of you local "Fifties" who work so hard to plan and organize these events .A big special thanks to Paul, who handles all those confusing reservations and checks! It was so great to see every one. It was really special for us Farnsworth "kids" who had our own little mini sibling reunion in our beloved Fort Smith. We had not been there at the same time since probably the 1980's, and suspect it might not happen again.

Pat and Justin are both in North Carolina, and I am way out in California. I've talked to each of them several times since returning home. We are all three on a "nostalgia high". Much of our conversation relates to our love of Fort Smith. One friend gave me a stack of her old Fort Smith Historical Society Journals. I am reading them one by one and thoroughly enjoying the memories they bring back.

I had a chance to tell many of you about our unexpected, but great , tour of the old Junior High buuilding (now Darby). After visiting and cleaning our parents graves in Roselawn Cemetery, and seeing our old 14th street home across the street from the school, just on impulse we went in the school and the young new principal came out to greet us . He was so gracious and showed us the old auditorium and even took us up the dark metal stairway to see the swimming pool.....now filled with cement! With daddy as principal and a KEY, we thought that pool belonged to us! The principal even gave me a beautiful 8x10 glossy photo of the old school before it was torn down. That is now framed here in my office room. Oh the memories.

So this is my letter of thanks and appreciation. You are all special, and I'm glad you were an important part of my life.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Farnsworth Erickson

OVERHEARD AT RECENT REUNION

"It is true that many of us have drunk water from wells we did not dig, we have sat in the shade beneath trees we did not plant, and if we have any successes, they were achieved because we were able to stand upon shoulders of those who have gone before.

Our hope and prayer for the people in this room is that when our time comes to pass the torch to those who follow after us, that we will have lived our lives so fully, with honor, that we will have no need to feel ashamed."

Thanks to C. B. Billingsley for submitting the above.

Northside High School Web Page

Those of you who are not already aware of it may be interested to know that the official Northside High School Web Page can be accessed at the following web address: http://www.northsidehighschool.com/index.htm

WE NEED YOUR HELP IN LOCATING CLASSMATES

This will be my last plea for "lost classmates" information, as it is time to update our class roster for our 55th Reunion booklet and have ready for our reunion.

If....you should know of any info on any of the following classmates, please forward to me:
Rudy Ackerman -Molly Brewer Crockett - Edward Robinson -Trossie Altes -- Flora Saylor Woods - Ed Burdick - David Jones - John Selman - - Leroy Kilpatrick - Christine Shotwell Edwards -James Canady - Jimmy Luckingbaugh - Alpha Smith -Richard Crockett - Bill Meadors - Suzanne Spink -
Debra Deranger Brown - Bobbie Miller - Pat Stalcup- Bill Donoho - Jim Ben Miller -Jeanette Stiles -Elmer Eaton- Donald Millsap- Delores Stoval Brand - Imogene Foster - Bob Moon - Robert Teague - Erlene Gibbons - Mary Sue Nance - Edward Turner - Hugh Glosson -- Doris Underwood Poole - Lois Oletia Hatley -Ernestine Riley - Patsy White - Melba Holden -Becky Roberts Fisk - Douglas Wllliams - Jerry Wilson

Thanks,
Peg Boatright Putnam

Aerial Photo of the New Lodge on Mount Magazine

Click on photo to enlarge

Arkansas: The Natural State

Nifty Fifties members may find of interest the "Arkansas: The Natural State" website, which can be accessed at http://www.arkansas.com/interactive-fun/. It features "Things to Do," "Places to Stay," "Outdoors," "State and Federal Parks," "Trip Planner," "Kids and Family," "Group Travel," "Photo Gallery," "Lakes and Rivers," "Maps," and many other useful topics.

The website also provides screen savers containing beautiful pictures of scenery in Arkansas that can be downloaded free of charge at http://www.arkansas.com/interactive-fun/screensaver/default.asp.

TBP

Posting Messages to the FSHS 1950 Class Blog Site

Peg Putnam has extended invitations to the FSHS 1950 Class to become team members of this blog site. Not all of the class members' e-mail addresses are known, and if you did not receive an invitation and wish to become a member, contact Peggy at peggyp@ipa.net. You may comment on previous postings without becoming a team member, but to post messages to the site you must respond affirmatively to Peg's invitation and establish your blogger username. Thereafter, to post a new message, go to the Blogger Dashboard at http://www.blogger.com/home (you may be required to sign in and give your chosen password) and click on the green + entitled "new post" to the right of the blue "Fort Smith High School Class of 1950" blog site name. This will take you to the "Fort Smith High School Class of 1950" blog composition screen where you can create a new "posting" by giving it a title and then typing the message. You have the option at the bottom of allowing comments relating to your message. When your message is ready to be posted to the blog site, you should click on the orange rectangle labled "publish post" at the bottom of the screen.

Please remember that the blog site is intended for FSHS 1950 class and family information only.

TBP

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!

GREETINGS FROM YOUR CLASSMATES OF 1950!!!

We are so excited about our new web site. With Harry Randall suggesting that we
create a central point of communication and Tom Pryor starting the ball rolling, and creating our blog; here we are.

Our hopes are to keep as many of our classmates updated of any news etc.

It will take all of us to make this successful......please participate.

Bear with us as we undertake something new, and hopefully exciting to experience and share.

Bless you, Dear Friends.

Peg Boatright Putnam

FSHS Class of 1950 [click on photo to enlarge]

FSHS CLASS OF 1950 ESTABLISHES BLOG SITE

The Fort Smith, Arkansas, High School Class of 1950 - the Nifty Fifties - has just established this new blog site with Peggy Boatright Putnam as the blog site manager. All members of the 1950 class are invited to post information regarding themselves and other members of the class to this blog site. For further information, e-mail Peggy Putnam at peggyp@ipa.net